It's February, and while it's possible we could still get a good snowfall here in middle Tennessee, the worst of winter is probably over. Today was a beautiful spring-like day - the kind that reminds me that vacation and travel season will be here soon. And that makes me think of an app you need to check out if you like Southern literature. The Deep South Literary Trail Guide is a guide to writers' homes, bookstores, festivals, and other literature-related landmarks in the South.
For many … [Read more...]

This week Kelsey and I had the opportunity to warm up the crowd at Read to Succeed's Celebrity Spelling Bee, an annual event in which brave citizens of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County compete in a spelling contest to raise awareness and funds for literacy here in our home county.
"Cholera" was the word that won the contest, as reported here by the Murfreesboro Post. More impressive than any spelling feat, over $58,000 - a record amount - was raised to benefit Read to Succeed and its … [Read more...]

We're excited to announce that our first album, Decent Pan of Cornbread, has been officially released. You know you're hungry for it! While you're waiting on your copy to arrive, preheat the oven, so to speak, with a little bit of DPOC trivia.
Where can you get a Decent Pan of Cornbread? Buy the CD direct from Kory's shop, or sample the tracks and buy digital downloads or physical CDs here on CDBaby.com or here on Kory and Kelsey's Facebook page. You'll also find downloads on iTunes and … [Read more...]

Scarritt-Bennett Center has been one of my favorite places in Nashville for a while.
First of all, it's the home of Poet's Corner, a monthly reading series where several of my dear poet friends sometimes read, and where Kelsey and I will be appearing on September 27. Second of all, it's a lovely campus that's great for programs, workshops, retreats, and special events. Its chapel is a popular site for weddings. But now I have a new reason to love SBC: its lovely Gifts and Books shop, now … [Read more...]

With Mother’s Day almost upon us, it seems a good time to share a couple of poems I've recently published celebrating two of the many marvelous women in my life.
The first poem is "Our Spirits Shall Sorrow No More." Available in both print and audio here in Deep South Magazine, it's about my grandmother - known as "Mamaw" to multiple generations of my family - but if you grew up in the South or Appalachia, it may remind you of your mama or granny, too.
I think Mamaw would particularly … [Read more...]

They first saw him on TV as "Wednesday's Child," a feature on the Boston news. They had already raised two boys - her sons from a previous relationship - when they invited Manny into their lives.
"The story of any boy's fourteen years should tumble and trip over dogs and cousins and best friends, baseball gloves and birthday parties, hand-me-down bicycles, stuffed animals, crayoned drawings stuck to refrigerators with alphabet magnets, sports posters and lacy valentines from Guess Who," Marie … [Read more...]

After a great trip to Knoxville back in December, Kelsey and I are delighted to be invited back so soon for a new collaboration. Along with poets Dawn Coppock and Susan Underwood, we'll be appearing as the group Tennessee Joltwagon and celebrating our Appalachian roots in words and music for two unique performances in one weekend:
At noon on Saturday, February 18th, we'll be on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. The one-hour show broadcasts live before a studio audience at noon EST from the … [Read more...]

Yesterday Chapter 16 published "In Praise of Making Things Up" an interview by Sarah Norris with Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus, who will be reading in Nashville next week at the Nashville Public Library.
Being a big fan of Chapter 16 and of The Night Circus, I shared the article - and a reminder of the reading - on Facebook as soon as I read it.
"I can’t go that night," a friend commented. "I’m bummed."
"I'm not sure I can go, either," I replied. And then, right there … [Read more...]

I often use social media to encourage my friends to pray for the mountains, or to contact their legislators to protect the mountains. Those posts don't always get a lot of comments, but sometimes someone will ask me in person, "WHAT are you talking about?" So here's a bit of background information, and a great music video that helps explain.
Living on a very flat piece of middle Tennessee, I'd never heard of a mining process called mountaintop removal (MTR) until I started attending writing … [Read more...]

On Christmas morning, each of us Wells found a different Yay! LiFE! magnet in our stocking. As they congregated on our fridge later in the day (undoubtedly holding out hope for a bite of yay! sausage balls! or yay! eggnog!), I realized that they are an astonishingly simple but enthusiastic expression for most of the passions in my life:
Yay! Books! was in my stocking and of course represents my love for reading and writing both prose and poetry.
Favorite fiction I read in 2011: The Night … [Read more...]

KORY WELLS is author of HEAVEN WAS THE MOON, poetry from March Street Press. Winner of the 2016 HeartWood Broadside Series and a two-time finalist for the Rash Award for Poetry, Kory's work appears in numerous print and online publications, including THE SOUTHERN POETRY ANTHOLOGY from Texas Review Press.

In 2017 Kory was selected the inaugural poet laureate of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she's lived most of her life. A software developer for many years, Kory’s now a poetry mentor with MTSU Write and is principal founder and curator of Poetry in the Boro. She also advocates for democracy, afternoon naps, and other good causes.
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Kory and her daughter Kelsey Wells, an old-time musician, collaborate on the album DECENT PAN OF CORNBREAD. Kelsey also plays with the contra dance band duo TURNIP THE BEET. Click the album cover below to sample on bandcamp.